Jam Hands
by PrincessAndula
Summary: Luke Danes is not a kid person. But family is family, and when his 8 year old nephew needs a home, Luke is determined to make it work. How would life change for Jess Mariano if he ended up in Stars Hollow 9 years sooner than in the show? A/N This fic is a birthday gift for my best friend for 26 years and favorite beta, Stellaluna.3! I own nothing except this alternate universe.
1. Late July, 1992, Stars Hollow

**A/N This fic is a birthday gift for my best friend for 26 years and favorite beta, Stellaluna.3! I own nothing except this alternate universe. This fic is going to touch on some serious issues; I'll try to include trigger warnings. I'm retroactively adding them in the previously published chapters. Also, my own experience with CPS is limited. I have only second hand knowledge through a few family members and friends who have been on various sides of the coin; feel free to let me know if I get something wrong. Trigger warning for this chapter: unplanned pregnancy**

 _Late July, 1992, Stars Hollow, Connecticut_

"What about high chairs?" Anna Nardini asked.

"What about 'em?" her on-again-off-again boyfriend replied, looking confused.

"Don't you need to order some? You know, for when customers bring small children?"

Luke Danes groaned. "Is there any way to prevent that? Can't I make a rule that nobody under 18 comes in?"

"No! Why?" Anna nervously glanced at her purse on the brand new counter.

"Kids will just make everything such a mess. They're always sticky like they've got jam on their hands. Even if there's no jam in the house, somehow, they've always got jam on their hands! And being a diner, there will always be jam for them to get sticky with! Not to mention all the crumbs, and the screaming...and the…" Luke lowered his voice to a whisper, "...breastfeeding. Seriously, nobody needs to see that."

Anna's eyes sparkled with unshed tears and she hugged her purse to her abdomen. "You're going to have to deal with all of that if you actually want to open this diner. I...I have to go."

"Okay, well, I'll pick you up tomorrow night at…"

"No! I...I have to cancel our date tomorrow. I...I've actually been thinking and...my life is about to get...very busy. I need to focus on my goals, and you need to focus on yours with the diner. I think it's best if we take some time apart."

"Time apart?"

"Yeah...don't call me, Luke. I'll call you, if I ever have the time for a relationship again."

Anna kissed his cheek and ran out the front door of the hardware-store-turned-diner. She jumped into her VW and drove away. As soon as she was out of sight of the diner, she pulled over, reached into her purse to grasp a small plastic stick with two pink lines, and wept.


	2. Early August, 1992, New York, New York

**Trigger Warning: child neglect, CPS**

 _Early August, 1992, New York, New York_

"Jess? Honey?" the grandmotherly librarian put her hand on the little boy's shoulder, shaking him from the fantasy world in which he'd been lost. "The library is closing now. Is your mama coming to pick you up soon?"

"Dunno."

"Well, does your ma have a beeper? "

"Nah."

Mimi (as all the kids at the library called her) looked at the gold watch on her slim, brown wrist. "I gotta lock up now, honey."

"S'kay. I finished this." The skinny, brunet child stuck The Neverending Story on the rolling cart of returns. "I can walk home."

"In this city? Alone? After dark?"

He shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Mimi sighed. "Wait while I lock up. I'll walk with you. An old woman like me might not be any safer on the mean streets, but maybe people will think twice about messing with the two of us together."

The boy shrugged again, his facial expression never changing, but he waited obediently by the door. Following his directions, the librarian found herself in an even poorer neighborhood than the one in which she lived (which was saying something), in front of a dilapidated brownstone.

"This is me." He opened the front door (no lock, no buzzer, she noted), and started to go inside, clearly not expecting her to follow. Well, despite spending every day of his summer break in the library, he must not know her well enough to know she wasn't leaving until she saw him safe in his mama's arms. She followed him up the threadbare carpeted stairs. Jess pushed open the door (also unlocked) of a 4th floor walkup and entered the darkened living room. Mimi reached through the door and grabbed his arm to pull him back, quickly covering his mouth with her other hand.

"Honey, wouldn't there be lights on if your ma was home? I think a burglar unlocked that door. We need to call the cops."

Surprisingly strong for his size, Jess pried her hand off his mouth and scowled at her. It was the first time in months of acquaintance that she'd seen any emotion on his face. "S'always open. I'm fine."

He marched back into the room and flicked on the lightswitch. One bare bulb illuminated the open plan apartment; the other lights in the fixture were burnt out. Mimi gasped at the sight. The table was covered with empty take-out boxes, some with mold she could see from outside the door. Beer bottles littered the floor by the sofa (made up as a bed); at least one was broken. Duct tape held the antenna on the small television...and covered a crack in the window. Yellowish staining on the wall was a tell-tale sign of frequent smoking. There was no indication that anyone else was in the apartment. Two doors stood open at the other side of the room. One was obviously an empty bathroom. The other must have been the only bedroom.

"Your mama ain't home, is she?"

"Guess not."

"Is this...usual for you?"

The little boy shrugged his thin shoulders.

"I need to...make a telephone call. May I borrow your phone?"

"Don't have one. We use the pay phone downstairs."

Mimi made her way back downstairs. "I'm getting too old for this," she huffed.

After making her call, Mimi slowly climbed the stairs again to wait with Jess. She felt bad not preparing him for the shock she knew was coming, but she was afraid he would run away. The only thing she could do for him was be there. Just be there.


	3. Mid-August, 1992, Stars Hollow

**Trigger warning for this chapter: CPS**

 _Mid August, 1992, Stars Hollow, Connecticut_

"Thanks for coming, Mia."

"Oh, as if I would do anything else, Lucas." The older woman playfully smacked his shoulder. " I can't wait to meet Elizabeth's little boy!"

"I can't believe I'm doing this. I don't know what to do with a kid."

"You just love him, Lucas. That's the most important thing."

"That was Liz's job. How could she let this happen?"

"I don't know what was going through Elizabeth's head. I know I can't really judge her, as I've never had to parent a small child on my own. David was grown when Allen died."

"But you think _I_ can parent a small child on my own?!"

"You're not on your own, Lucas. You have me, and really the whole town. They do say it takes a village to raise a child."

"Oh, great. Because he'll be so much better off being raised by a whole village full of village idiots." Luke rolled his eyes.

The diner bell dinged and a smartly suited young woman walked in. "Mr. Danes, it's good to see you again…Jess..." She turned and looked behind her, stepped back out, and ushered in a sullen looking boy, with dark hair and eyes.

"Oh my, he looks exactly like James," Mia whispered. "Except for those brown eyes, of course. That's from William."

 _Poor kid, looking like that deadbeat Jimmy Mariano,_ thought Luke.

"Jess, aren't you going to say hello to your uncle?"

"Hey."

"Hey, Jess. This is Mia. She was a friend of your grandma and knew your mom when she was a kid. She's going to hang out with us here at the diner today, and after I close up, you and I can go check out our new apartment."

Silence.

"Jess?" the caseworker prompted.

The boy looked down at his feet and scuffed a toe of his worn sneakers against the floor. "K," he mumbled.

"Okay," Luke said with a nod.

"I'll get your things."

The woman quickly returned with a...garbage bag? She set it down next to Jess and awkwardly patted his head in farewell before finally taking her leave.


End file.
